


Ambition

by Sara_Ellison



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies), Star Trek: The Original Series (Movies)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-16
Updated: 2013-02-16
Packaged: 2017-11-29 11:39:36
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,513
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/686553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sara_Ellison/pseuds/Sara_Ellison
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Janice Rand finally gets what she thought she wanted.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ambition

**Author's Note:**

> I noticed that Janice Rand was a Commander in Star Trek VI, and I wondered when she'd become a commissioned officer. This provides a reason for Rand disappearing from TOS after "Balance of Terror". It's set in the timeline of the 2009 movie but isn't dependent on that film's plot, except in the fact that things are different and she's become a commissioned officer before TMP.

She hadn't expected to be this nervous.

It was her ship, after all. She'd served aboard the _Enterprise_ for nearly a year already. It was nice enough, and certainly prestigious to serve on the flagship of the Federation, but Janice had realized, shortly after the first encounter with the Romulans--that is, the ones outside of the _Narada_ \--that she didn't want to die a yeoman. Her sense of ambition wouldn't permit it; she wanted to do something more with her life. So she had submitted her request for leave to Captain Kirk, and the next time the _Enterprise_ returned to its home port, she had left Kirk's ship for the last time, or so she thought at the time.

Her renewed studies at Starfleet Academy passed well enough. It took her only a year to become an officer, and she shipped out on the _Farragut_ as a proud Ensign. She soon discovered to her dismay that life aboard that ship was, to be frank, boring. Captain Harrison simply did not take risks as Kirk did. He stayed aboard ship, letting his First Officer lead away missions per regulation, and while the _Farragut_ had a lower casualty rate among security personnel than the _Enterprise_ , the slow pace of life left something greatly to be desired, at least to the mind of the newly-promoted Lieutenant Junior Grade Janice Rand. So she put in a request for transfer once more, bid her still-new crew farewell, and packed her things.

Now, standing in the _Farragut_ 's transporter room, clutching a bag full of her personal effects, she fought to subdue her pounding heart. Why was she so anxious about her return to the _Enterprise_? What was there to be nervous about? She had friends aplenty among that crew, and was sure she would be welcomed back with open arms. The crew would be happy to see her, and the captain...

The captain. Janice bit her lip involuntarily. Of course she was nervous about seeing him again. She'd told him, feverishly, when they thought they were all going to die within the next few days down on that hell-planet, how she felt about him...and felt like a fool afterwards, when they'd all survived. If she were to be completely honest with herself, she had to admit that the awkwardness she felt around Captain Kirk from then on played not a small part in her decision to go back to the Academy. She'd told him about her embarrassing crush, and he had neither rejected her nor reciprocated the sentiment. He'd comforted her, certainly, doing his best to soothe her fears in that run-down, deserted corridor, but Janice was still unsure whether it had meant anything or if he, too, had been acting with the threat of death looming over him. Maybe he'd just wanted one last fuck before they all went insane and died painfully. Certainly, part of him had tried that before.

What an uncharitable thought, especially when she'd long-ago forgiven him for that incident. She shook herself inwardly, composed herself outwardly, and nodded to the waiting transporter technician. "Goodbye, Chief," she told the other woman. "Energize."

She squeezed her eyes shut as she felt her molecules dissolving. It was never a pleasant sensation, and Janice resisted using the transporter whenever she could, but out here it was really the best way to get from one ship to another. Barely had the thought crossed her mind when she rematerialized, opened her eyes, and involuntarily smiled.

With her first breath, she knew she was home. It was barely noticeable, but each ship had its own unique smell, subtle though it was. The _Enterprise_ smelled of warmth and triumph.

The Captain and First Officer were waiting for her, next to the Second Officer, who was manning the transporter console. Janice stepped forward off the transporter pad, dropped her bag, and saluted. "Permission to come aboard, Captain?" she asked.

Captain Kirk returned her salute gravely. "Permission granted, Lieutenant," he answered, then stepped forward, smiling, his hand extended. Janice shook his hand and was rather surprised to find herself pulled abruptly into a hug. "Good to have you back, Rand," Kirk said, stepping back.

"Aye, welcome back, lassie!" Scotty enthused from the console. Commander Spock merely nodded at her.

"Thank you all," she said, feeling rather giddy. "It's good to be home."

***

The quarters she was assigned were slightly more luxurious than those she had enjoyed as a lowly Yeoman. Her roommates greeted her warmly and helped her unpack without her having to ask. The only bunk left in the room was an upper berth, and one of her new roommates, Lt. Katraine, breathlessly offered to trade if Janice preferred a bottom bunk, but Janice quickly reassured her that a top bunk would do just fine, thank you.

Janice had arrived aboard the _Enterprise_ at 1900 hours, and a low grumble from her stomach reminded her that she had not yet had dinner. After unpacking and settling in, her watch now read 2023, and she made her way to the mess hall.

A few other off-duty crewmen were there, as well, lingering over a late supper or simply passing the time. A group of security officers sat at one table, playing a game of cards and raucously exchanging anecdotes. She smiled at them as she walked past them on her way to the bank of replicators.

The computer produced a reasonable facsimile of something she could call dinner, so she took it to an empty table and sat down. It really did smell good, considering how hungry she was. She probed the mashed potatoes with her fork and, prepared for disappointment, took a bite. She was quite surprised to discover that they actually tasted as good as they smelled, and the texture closely approximated real food.

"We've had the replicators upgraded while you were away," said a voice, and Janice looked up hastily to see the captain standing next to her table, holding a cup of coffee. She attempted to hastily swallow her bite of food so as to answer him, and nearly choked in the process.

"Easy, Rand," he laughed, and seated himself in the chair next to her. "Take your time. I know you must be hungry."

She nodded and wiped her mouth on a napkin. "Thank you, sir," she answered, blushing slightly, and took another, smaller bite.

"It really is good to have you back with us," Kirk commented casually, "even if you're no longer my yeoman."

Janice put down her fork. She started to speak, then closed her mouth again, realizing she had no idea how to respond. There was so much hidden behind Kirk's comment. He was watching her intently as he sipped at his coffee, and she tried not to blush harder under his scrutiny. Hell, for all she knew, he looked at all the women on the ship the way he was looking at her now. She cleared her throat. "Thank you, sir," she repeated. Then, daringly, she murmured, "I missed you."

He leaned forward and seized her hand. "I missed you too, Rand," he said quietly. His eyes locked onto hers and she could not look away, nor did she want you. His hand felt very hot against hers. The seconds stretched by, each one lasting an eternity.

Her stomach grumbled again, shattering the moment. Kirk chuckled and let go of her hand. "You should finish your dinner, Lieutenant," he said. "There will be plenty of time for this after you've eaten."

Janice did not ask what he meant by "this". She took up her fork again and made her best effort at satiating her stomach's demands. The captain stayed while she ate, drinking his coffee and chatting about the past year. She told him about life at the Academy, and he filled her in on a few of the missions that she'd missed. He mentioned an inauguration ceremony on Altair VI which he seemed to think had been a lot more exciting than it sounded, some curious time-traveling incidents, and a bewildering encounter with a mirror universe. On the whole, her life had been far more boring than his during the time they'd been apart.

She did not ask about the women. She knew there had been some; a particular look in his eye when he spoke about some of the events told her that much. She'd learned long ago that it was not worth it to be jealous. There would always be other women. Still, she did not want to know the details; who he had met in the 20th century or in the mirror universe was his business, and she told herself she didn't care.

After she had finished eating, she and the captain walked together, still chatting, strolling down the corridors of the ship. They were mostly empty; it was late, and those who were not on duty had retired to their quarters. While their conversation covered many topics, they had not yet discussed "this" again--danced around the topic, certainly, but always keeping their distance--until Kirk said blithely, "You know, Janice, it's discouraged for a captain and his yeoman to become romantically involved."

Her heart leaped into her throat. She tried to keep her voice steady as she replied, "I'm no longer your yeoman, Captain."

He paused, and Janice looked up to see that they were outside the door to his quarters. He gently touched her face and murmured, "Call me Jim."

Then he was kissing her, and she forgot any response she might have made because his mouth was hot against hers, and his tongue slipped between her lips, gently but insistently exploring her mouth, and of their own volition her hands snaked up and around his neck, her fingers twining in his short, light brown hair. It wasn't until she felt a burning in her chest that she realized she had forgotten to breathe.

When the kiss finally ended, she realized they had somehow gotten through the door and were standing in the captain's bedroom. He was holding her in his arms, gently yet firmly, his body pressed against hers. He brought up a hand and brushed a tendril of blonde hair out of her face. "Is this what you want?" he asked.

She stared at him. Why was he even asking? Didn't he know? "God, yes," she breathed, and kissed him again, hungrily.

He needed no other invitation. Within the space of a few seconds he'd unfastened her uniform and divested her of it. She removed his shirt, running her hands over his broad chest, while he kissed down her neck, sucking gently at the base of her throat. Against her hip she felt his erection straining against the fabric of his pants, and she reached down to free it.

A soft moan escaped him as she wrapped her hand around his cock. He pressed her down on the bed, kissing her as she stroked him. He dragged his lips down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses along her collarbone. With one hand, he unfastened and removed her bra. He bent his head lower and flicked his tongue against her nipple, gently teasing as his hand caressed her other breast. She made an inarticulate sound of protest when he moved his mouth lower, kissing down her belly, but mentally rescinded it when he slid her panties down.

All rational thought fled around the point when he began to kiss between her legs. The man was nothing if not skilled. His tongue flicked against her clit, sending electricity up her spine and eliciting a gasp. He slid a finger inside her, pressing deeper until he found-- _there_. Her back arched involuntarily and she cried out, her hands entwining themselves once more in his hair. She found herself babbling. "Oh, Jim," she moaned. "Oh, yes, God, need you now..."

Obediently, he moved back up her body, and she took his cock in her hand again as he kissed her. He was hard and throbbing as she guided him into her. She fought to keep her hips from bucking as his hard length slid into her, filling her. She arched her back, pressing her breasts against his chest, kissing and sucking urgently on his neck, up his jawline, licking his ear as he fucked her. He was saying something, she realized through a haze of pleasure, and tried to focus on his words. "God, yes," he was saying. "Feel so good, so soft, God..." It was a whisper, barely audible above his breath.

Her hands roamed over his strong back, caressing his ass. She wrapped her legs around his, trying to pull him in deeper. "Harder," she gasped in his ear. And he obliged, grinding their hips together, biting her shoulder, each thrust making her tremble and moan, pushing her closer and closer to the edge until finally she shuddered in a wave of ecstasy and screamed his name.

He wasn't far behind. It was only a few moments before his entire body tensed and shuddered, and he cried out, "Oh! God, yes!" And on a final exhalation as he collapsed on top of her, once again in a barely-audible whisper "Spock!"

Janice froze beneath the captain's body, her warm envelope of contentment suddenly gone without a trace. "Jim?" she said, louder than she had meant to. Her voice sounded cold and harsh to her own ears.

"Mmm. Yes, Janice," he murmured, gently kissing her face as he rolled off of her to lie, panting, on the bed beside her, his eyes closed.

"Jim," she repeated. She leaned over him, and he opened his eyes and looked up at her. "What did you say?"

He blinked. "I don't know. I wasn't really paying attention to what I was saying." He gave a sort of half-chuckle, half-smirk. "Why? If I said another woman's name, it's nothing personal."

She shook her head. If only. Silently, she stood and picked up her uniform from the floor.

"Hey, wait--" He had propped himself up on an elbow. "You're leaving? Wait!"

"I'm sorry, Captain," she said, not really sure what she had to be sorry about. For expecting too much of him, perhaps. She didn't trust herself to say more, so she fastened her uniform and left his quarters, leaving a bewildered, sweaty Captain Kirk to puzzle over what he had done wrong.

She nearly walked into somebody in the corridor. "Lieutenant, you seem to be missing your shoes," a calm voice observed.

She looked up into the Vulcan's coolly logical brown eyes, and resisted the urge to glare at him. "Commander Spock," she greeted him. To her horror, she felt herself beginning to choke up. "I think the captain would like to see you," she managed.

He raised an eyebrow in that irritating way he had. "Fascinating," he declared.

She saluted and muttered, "Goodnight, Commander." He watched her, still with that inscrutable expression on his face, as she moved past him toward the turbolift. As she pressed the call button, she faintly heard his knock on the captain's door.


End file.
